Lost Memories
by Winter's Melody
Summary: One day Mikan finds herself in the real world with no memories, however she is in danger and has to entrust her life to a stranger...
1. Prologue

This is my first ever fanfic, so I hope it's good, and please review it! I (obviously) do not own Gakuen Alice.

* * *

**Prologue**

A bead of sweat glistened, hanging off her chin indecisively, as if it hadn't yet decided whether or not it wanted to fall. Her eyes darted about, taking in information, processing it and making decisions. This particular decision was a difficult one, not unlike the decision she had to make 10 years ago. On that day it was snowing, the beautiful white slush piling up high, like tonight. Blood stands out on snow.

There was no denying it, they were completely surrounded. On all sides were expressionless men, their eyes hidden behind reflective lenses. They might be anyone, they might have children, a wife, a white kitten they called socks, but now they were stone, cold and unmoving. The odds were not good.

"Yuka, I can teleport us out of here."

"No, you've already used up too much energy to teleport all three of us."

"There's no other way! I can teleport you two, then hold them off here..."

"That's too much of a risk, Shiki, the teleportation alice isn't yours naturally, if you don't teleport with us we could end up anywhere, or even worse, stuck in between."

Shiki was starting to get impatient, "Then what do you want us to do?! There's no other solution."

The woman, Yuka, looked around once more, thinking of all possible solutions and weighing them up carefully. The attackers were reluctant to harm them, obviously sent by the principal, but they didn't have infinite patience, soon things would get dangerous. The longer she waited the less likely they would get away safely. Yuka looked at the sleeping girl lying in her arms. Mikan. Yuka then made her decision and gently rested her hand on the girl's forehead. When Shiki saw what she was doing his eyes widened.

'Do you remember what we discussed?" asked Yuka.

"No..., I can't just leave you! That man...if he catches you-" Shiki felt as if his entire universe had collapsed. He did remember what Yuka had told him, the first night when Mikan was with them. He had just filed it away in the back of his mind, hoping it would never come to that.

"More important than life itself," now Yuka was pleading, "please, you know how I feel; you promised that you wouldn't hesitate!"

He clenched his fists "But that's because I thought that...with these hands I would protect you, I thought that if I was by your side it would never get to this stage..."

"This was bound to happen eventually. Please, just this one thing." With that Yuka handed over the motionless girl, forcing him to accept the burden.

It was at this moment that the enemy ran out of patience. There was a great rumbling of the earth as it churned underneath their feet, trying to dislodge them from solid ground. The expressionless men started to move in, their guns raised at shoulder level. Yuka took one of Shiki's hands in both of hers. "Please." Suddenly she jumped back dodging a small boulder that had flung itself at her, Shiki looked up and prepared to shield against the large chunk of cement flying at them, before realizing that with his arms full holding Mikan he couldn't shield. The cement was coming closer, shaking loose soil free as it catapulted through the air. Shiki jumped out of the way at the last minute, cursing as it scraped against his leg. He turned around to check if Yuka was alright and then he saw. Her face was framed by a bulky arm clad in black, a gun pointed at her head. The world froze. The sun was setting, turning the sky a deep red, reflecting onto the snow, making it look awash with blood.

Yuka looked him in the eye, begging him silently. Please, more important than life itself.

Shaking with grief and anger and frustration, Shiki gathered up the strength inside himself before hugging Mikan tighter. The faceless men started to fire as they saw the man carrying the girl fade away, but it was too late; they were already gone.

The forest was enjoying the ritual peace that came just after sun down. Like a break between two busy shifts. The day creatures just settling down, the night creatures starting to stir. The appearance of Shiki and Mikan went largely unnoticed.

Shiki staggered to a nearby patch of grass, nearly tripping on the roots of a tree, blinded, as he was, by the tears in his eyes. There he lay Mikan down gently, brushing the hair out of her eyes, so similar to Yuka's, before dropping to his knees beside her. He leaned over Mikan, tears dropping from his cheeks to hers, and placed his hand on her forehead. He pulled the glittering wisps of her memory away from her head, and let the evening breeze carry them away, like loose strands of a spider's web.

* * *

Good? Bad? Halfway there? Please review!


	2. Awakening

Not much happens in this chapter, still read it though. A lot more will happen next chapter, don't worry.

Thanks to the following for reviewing:

**_Lady Clark - Weasley of Books_**

**_dbzgtfan2004_**

**_JuSt To RaNdOm_**

**_IceGirl7_**

I own Gakuen Alice and all the characters....not. Gakuen Alice and all character except for Mizuki Yui belong to Higuchi Tachibana. Yui belongs to me, but she won't be around much longer...

**

* * *

**

Awakening

The light coming through the window played on Mikan's face, throwing her features into sharp relief. An old man smiled, stretching his already wrinkled face. He watched her from the door for a minute, reluctant to disturb the look of peace on her face. Then, he threw a pillow at her.

"WAKE UP! What a nice morning for your first day back!" he shouted out enthusiastically. At this Mikan stirred, opening a couple of blurry eyes. In an instant she had flung her arms around the man's neck.

Mikan laughed "Jii-chan! I missed you so much! I was so lonely at the hospital, and the food was terrible!" The old man examined her, his forehead creasing up, before smiling.

"Mikan, I missed you too, so much... but it's just like you to cross the road without looking! You must have been so anxious to see Hotaru that you forgot to check for cars!" At this Mikan lowered her eyes as they began to fill with tears, blurring her soft, brown eyes.

"Hotaru...I didn't even get to see her. I went all that way, and I couldn't even..." Her grandfather patted her on the back.

"It's okay, next time maybe, but we go together, no more running away without telling me."

Mikan's eyes were still watering, leaving her with tear streaked cheeks. "I'm sorry, Jii-chan, sorry for making you worry. And sorry for using your savings." Her grandfather sighed, "It's alright, I'm sure that a year in hospital relearning how to walk is punishment enough. I'm just glad that you're safe now, and fully recovered!"

Mikan smiled at him and wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head as if to toss out any melancholy thoughts. "That's right, and I get to go back to school and see all my friends!" Her grandfather just smiled back, happy to finally have his granddaughter with him, but he was still troubled. _Mikan, what really happened this past year, what really happened at the academy. _He watched her getting ready for school, the same routine as always, like she had never left, like nothing had changed.

"WOAH! It's Sakura-san! She's back!"

"Huh, really, Mikan-chan's back?"

Mikan entered the classroom with a wide smile on her face. "Good morning, everyone! I'm back!"

"Amazing, she really is back!"

The whole class surrounded her, each trying to get in a question.

"Where were you all this time?"

"Did you go to see Hotaru? Did you see her?"

"Is it true? We heard some rumours..."

"Yeah! We heard the headmaster saying something about that!"

"So was it true?"

Mikan, confused, asked "Was what true?"

"You know, were you really accepted into Alice Academy?!"

"No, I didn't even get near the academy. I couldn't even see Hotaru..." Mikan's eyes began to fill with tears again, "Hotaru..."

"So then what happened?"

"Oh, I got hit by a car and I think my spine got damaged a bit, so I had to spend a year in hospital, but I'm fine now!" The class seemed momentarily disappointed, but soon regained their previous momentum.

"Thank god, you're all right, but it's a shame about Hotaru..."

"Someday I'm sure you'll see her again."

Mikan, realizing that she was worrying her class, wiped her tears away again. She opened her mouth to reply and reassure them, but at that moment the teacher decided to start class and ordered everybody to their seats.

Mikan moved towards her old seat, next to one of her friends , Akane, but it was already taken by a girl who Mikan didn't recognise. Mikan remembered that she had been away for a year, and that things would have to have changed. She sighed, and took a seat at the back of the classroom. Class was now starting so introductions would have to wait until break.

It was comforting, to sit in such a familiar classroom, looking out the window at that tree that's always been there, thought Mikan, for as long as she could remember, the classroom had always been the same, the same wooden desks, the same clock always ten minutes late, even the same people...but Hotaru...

"I like your drawing, it's cute." rang out a girls voice.

"Huh?" Mikan looked up, the classroom was empty except for the girl she didn't know who had been sitting in her old seat. She stood in front of Mikan's desk, her long, black hair braided behind her back, walnut eyes watching Mikan curiously.

"Your penguin, is that an antennae on top of its head?"

"What penguin? Where?" asked a confused Mikan, "Where's everyone gone?"

"Oh! The bell rang a couple minutes ago; I saw you drawing something so I came to see what it was, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all!" Mikan looked down at her page curiously, "that's odd, I didn't realize I drew something, but I did. It looks like it could be one of Hotaru's inventions."

"Hotaru...your best friend right?" the girl smiled at Mikan, "anyway, it looks kind, the penguin. I like the cat too, but it looks ...more scary..." Mikan examined her page again. There was the stubby little penguin, with such a silly expression. But next to it was a black cat. The cat was curled up, staring with those dangerous looking eyes, but for some reason they seemed familiar to Mikan, almost comforting. "Blood red..." breathed Mikan.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"Oh, it was nothing, anyway I still haven't introduced myself! I'm Sakura Mikan, how about you?"

"I'm Mizuki Yui, it's nice to meet you, Sakura-san." The two girls smiled at each other.

"Mizuki-san, let's be friends!"

"Hai!"

"_Yuka, I hear that you refuse to cooperate, I was so saddened, to think that the woman I once would have taken on as a wife bears so much...bad will towards me." The young boy circled the woman. Her hands were chained to a post in the middle of the room. A trickle of blood had escaped her mouth and was now sliding down her face, tracing the contours of her chin._

"_Might I remind you that you are not the only one with the stealing alice? You wouldn't want me to ask that cute little girl of yours for help, would you now?" The boy watched Yuka carefully, the curve of a victorious smile already starting to form on his face. But for some reason, this smile was mirrored on Yuka's face._

_She laughed harshly, "Do you want me to tell you a secret? Lean in closer, just like that." She started to whisper in the boy's ear and her smile broadened as she watched his eyes grow wide in horror._

* * *

Was it good? Or does it need some improvement? Always open to constructive criticism (did I spell that right?). If you liked it please show your appreciation by reviewing it, it will make me happy (yes, we don't write for reviews but who would write when they think no one appreciates it? It's like performing a play to an empty room.)


	3. Familiarity

I do not own Gakuen Alice, Higuchi Tachibana does.

Thanks for reviewing:

**Lady Clark - Weasley of Books**

**IceGirl7**

**moonacre99**

**natsumikan0909**

**Najika Tsubasa-chan**(In response to your question, yes, Yuka did get Shiki to wipe Mikan's mind)

In advance, Yukihara is the High school principal, Kuonji is the elementary school principal.

please read and review

* * *

**Familiarity**

"Yukihara-sama, the information you requested." My informant bows and leaves an envelope on the table beside me before departing. My fingers fumble opening the white envelope, and I have to take a deep breath before continuing. When the envelope is finally open, I pull out a single photo. On the back of the photo there's some writing, "_Yuka Azumi, elementary division high security cell no.S-1, 11:38pm". _So it is her. The photo, she's in that white cell, that place without windows, the lights constantly turned on. That cell, the one with the silence alice laid on it, the one nobody has managed last more than three months in with their sanity still intact. Because in that room, you are entirely alone with your thoughts. In the photo she's holding her head, through her fingers you can see her eyes, filled with uncertainty, hate, regret, worry.

Why? Why let yourself get caught so easily? Yuka, don't you realize that even if you manage to endure this, they will still go after Mikan? Why leave her without memories, defenceless, not even knowing who her enemies are? Defenceless...wait, defenceless...could it be? I concentrating on the figure in the picture, look at her eyes again. All of a sudden I see it, but it must be a mistake, it's impossible, unless...and then it hits me. So you did have a plan, Yuka, but it's still risky, my guess is that for now they are calling your bluff. But you underestimated him, soon he will realize that there is a loophole in your story, and then Mikan will again be in danger. But don't worry, I don't know if this was a part of your plan, but I will do all that is in my power to keep Mikan safe, but with this web Kuonji has spun around us, this is going to be difficult. I need to find someone who can protect her in my place, but with so many of his spies around, it's hard to trust anybody. Someone with experience in the outside world and in fighting. Someone capable and willing to protect Mikan, someone who would never betray her. Somebody who wouldn't stop protecting her, even if it meant living their entire life in hiding. I smile, this'll be an easier decision than I thought.

* * *

It had been over a month since Mikan returned to school, she had settled back into school life as if she had never left. The afternoon was still a little chilly, despite it being late spring; winter had been long this year, unusually so. Mikan walked along, sighing. Recently her memory had been a little strange, a little blurry at times. She barely remembered the hospital she had spent her last year in, just that it existed and she had been there. But these two facts seemed oddly undeniable, as if they had been engraved on her very consciousness.

"Mikan-chan! Wait up!" Mikan turned around to see Yui running after her.

"Yui-chan! What are you doing here? Don't you live near town?" asked Mikan. Yui was trying to catch her breath, tired after running so far.

"Yeah, but I thought that I wanted to visit that lake again on such a nice day, like when we went last week!" Yui smiled at Mikan, "do you want to come? I could use some company..." For a moment Mikan looked at Yui, then suddenly she smiled.

"Sure! Because you taught me how to skip stones last week, I'll teach you how to fish!"

The surface of the lake shimmered in the bright sun, which had just come out from behind the clouds, illuminating the water below, before fading into murky darkness when the sun once again hid behind the sun.

Yui laughed, "The sun seems to be very shy today!"

Mikan remembered the first time they had come to this lake together. It was a couple days after they first met.

_Mikan had been walking to town to buy some groceries when she saw Yui lying on the grassy lakeside, immersed in a book she was reading. Mikan slowly made her way over to Yui, reluctant to interrupt her, yet anxious to talk to her new friend. She was debating whether or not to call out, when Yui noticed her. _

"_Sakura-san! Did you come because of the good weather too?"_

"_Umm, no, not really...I was going to town to buy something, but the weather is nice. The clouds especially, so wispy..." Mikan smiled and happily skipped down to sit beside her friend, "I'm glad it's sunny today, because the winter was so long. Not that I don't like making snowmen and having snow fights, but Jii-chan gets aches in his bones when it's cold. He always tries to hide it but I've lived with him my entire life so I can tell." Yui watched Mikan's forehead crease with worry. She put her hand on Mikan's shoulder "It's alright, I'm sure your grandfather will be fine so long as he has you." The two girls smiled at each other and sat in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence, it was the comfortable type, when two people leave each other to their own thoughts. _

"_Ne, Sakura-san, can I call you Mikan-chan?"_

"_Sure, but only if I can call you Yui-chan. Deal?"_

"_Deal!"_

Ever since that day they had been great friends, even best friends, thought Mikan, still bitter from Hotaru's cruelty (not a single letter since that postcard over a year ago).

"Mikan? Mikan?"

"Huh?"

"You space out a lot, don't you?"

By the end of the day, the two exhausted girls had successfully managed to catch a tree branch, an old milk carton, 3 plastic bags and a sandal. They laughed, not really caring about whether what they caught was edible or not.

Afterwards Yui called her mother and got permission to sleep over at Mikan's house. When they told Mikan's grandfather about their unsuccessful fishing trip he jokingly asked them if they had remembered to use bait. Silence.

"You _did_ remember that you need bait, right...?

"Ah...I knew we forgot something!" Then everyone burst out laughing.

It was night time, Yui and Mikan were lying in their sleeping bags on the floor, talking.

"Mikan, so far I've only seen your grandfather, what about your parents? Are they working?"

"No, it's just me and Jii-chan, for as long as I can remember. Jii-chan says that they're in the sky, watching over me."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Please forgive me!"

"No, it's okay. I don't really miss them because...because you can't really miss what you've never had."

Yui's eyes saddened. "It's still sad though..."

"How about you, who do you live with? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Huh? Me? Umm, no brothers, I have a sister but she's 23 so she lives by herself in Tokyo. I just live with my mum now, because my father died a couple months ago..." Tears started to run down Yui's cheeks, "But when he was alive he used to be the best dad ever! We always used to play so many fun things and go to so many fun places. He could make a game out of everything! But... a couple years before he died he wasn't...he wasn't himself..." Yui started to sob loudly.

"Yui, I'm sorry too..." The two girls just hugged each other, crying for their lost parents, and crying for each other.

The next morning at school Mikan and Yui sat together.

"I'm sorry, Mikan, for ruining our sleepover, I thought that by now I had gotten over it, but maybe I was wrong."

"It's okay, I'm happy that you came! And I feel as if I know you better now, so that...oh, there's the teacher."

The teacher walked in followed by a boy with dark black hair.

"Everyone, this is Natsume Hyuuga, the new student. He's just moved from Tokyo, so everyone please be nice to him." She turned to the boy, who was looking at the black board, assessing the difficulty of work at this school, "If anyone gives you a hard time, you just tell me, don't let any bullies get you down." The boy ignored her and turned his head. There was a sudden intake of breath as everybody saw his face. Mikan's eyes widened, those eyes scared her, not because of their colour, the colour of blood, but because of their familiarity. Those eyes seemed as familiar as Hotaru's eyes, and it scared Mikan, though she had no idea why.

* * *

Please review if you think it's good and if you have any ideas for improvement. If you do review it will really make my day and will also show your appreciation!

Oh, and since I'm not very good at summaries, it would be good if someone could make a suggestion! Until then I'll just keep on trying new ones until I find a considerable spike in vistors, (though knowing some people, I'd probably have to mention something along the lines of 'Natsume rapes Mikan' to get their attention)

The next chapter _may_ take a little more time than the previous few due to a fun-filled exam week beckoning me, wish me luck!


	4. Déjà Vu

Sorry for taking so long (compared to the other chapters)

I wrote this a couple days ago but for some reason at the time I didn't like it and wanted to rewrite it, but when I read it today it seemed fine!

I don't own neither Gakuen Alice the school or Gakuen alice the story...unfortunately. Who knows, maybe I will suddenly become fluent in Japanese, go live in Japan and accidentally bump into Higuchi Tachibana while popping into the local supermarket to buy a Japanese approximation of ginger ale (my favorite drink). Then Higuchi Tachibana will invite me to tea when I tell her how much I adore her manga. Then she will treat me like a daughter, eventually handing all rights to Gakuen Alice over to me...

**Thank you to the following reviewers:**

**Lady Clark-Weasley of Books**

**moonacre99**

**TheBlackSwallow**

**xXH3ARTXx**

**usagi-hime**

**fallenangel hyacinth**

**rashel**

**bunnyjumps**

Let these people be a good example to those who read and enjoyed my story yet were too lazy to review (*hint hint*)

**And thank you to all the people who story alerted, made my story one of their favorites or even made me one of their fave authors! Sorry that I never thanked you guys before but I'm a newbie so I didn't realize until I checked my e-mail account and found about 3 million (all right, exaggeration) unopened emails.**

* * *

**Lost and Forgotten**

**Chapter 3**

**Déjà Vu**

Natsume's POV

I scan the room, keeping my irritation in check. The teacher was actually expecting me to come crying if I got teased. _Me, _getting _teased?_ She must be delusional. I refocus my thoughts and continue to scan the room. I already know she's near the back, don't know how, a gut feeling maybe. However, I continue to scan the room systematically, because I need to assess if anybody is a risk and because I know that once I see her, I won't be able to look away. Finally, the last row. I try to stop myself but my eyes jump of their own accord, straight at her, I'm looking into her earthy brown eyes and I brace myself for the shout of recognition I know is coming. But it doesn't come. She just sits there, a look of mild puzzlement on her face. It's almost like...like she doesn't recognise me.

"_Why am I here? Is it Mikan? Did anything happen to her?!"_

"_Calm down, Natsume. I summoned you here to inform you that Yuka has been captured and-"_

"_WHAT!" Natsume shouted, his crimson eyes widening "What about Mikan?! Did they capture her too?!"_

"_Calm down, Mikan is reasonably safe at the moment, at her hometown." This calmed down Natsume, but he was still worried. Yukihara continued, "Although she is safe for now, I have reason to believe that in future she may be in danger. This is where you come in. Here is all the information you will need regarding the mission, after you have read it you can decide whether or not to accept-"_

"_I accept," Natsume waved the envelope he had just been handed in the air, "I'll read this on the way." _

"_Just a word of warning, lately Mikan has been...rather forgetful. Choose your words carefully." _

So that was what he was talking about. With a pang, I realize that Mikan probably doesn't remember me, or the academy at all. Yuka must've inserted the memory alice into Shiki and gotten him to erase all of Mikan's memories concerning alices. All those memories lost, all the things she saw, all the new friends she made, all the laughter, all those things we did together, can it really all be...gone? I'm still looking at her blank face, and then she smiles. I can tell that she doesn't know why she's smiling at me. So then does that mean that deep down, she still might remember...? Some girls are whispering to each other.

"Why is he staring at Sakura?"

"Yeah I know, he's really hot but kinda weird, I mean, is he just blanking out randomly or do they know each other?"

"I don't think she knows him, she looks a little creeped out by him, I mean, who wouldn't when he's just staring"

"He can creep _me _out anytime" They start to stifle giggles and I realise that I'd been staring for too long. What they said was true, Mikan was starting to look a little disturbed.

"Natsume will now introduce himself and tell us a little about himself, come now, don't be shy" The teacher chides. This teacher is really starting to piss me off, but I can't do anything, I can't risk getting suspended, I can't even risk getting sent out of the classroom.

"My name is Natsume Hyuuga."

"So what do you enjoy doing, Natsume?"

"..." I sit down at the spare desk, ignoring the teacher. The girl next to me giggles and introduces herself "Hi, I'm Akane, umm, if you want I can show you around school." I'm used to girls acting like this around me, so she's easy to ignore, like tuning out annoying buzzing sounds. I spend the lesson thinking about my mission, considering the best course of action. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I see Mikan walking towards me. I know that it is extremely unlikely that she's recovered her memory but I can't help but hope, maybe seeing me has triggered her memory...

"How dare you play with my friend's feelings!" she shouts at me, she has that crease in her forehead that only shows when she's angry about something.

"Don't be so noisy, you'll make my ears bleed." I reply, with no idea what she's talking about.

"YOU STUCK UP-"

"It's okay, Mikan-chan, I'm sure he was only too busy studying to take much notice of anything."

"But Akane, he totally ignored you-"

"Look, Polka-dots, just shut up, I'm trying to read here" I say, indicating my manga. She looks confused.

"Polka-dots...me? I don't get it...why am I polka-dots?" Oops, I didn't mean to call her that. Guess it just slipped out.

"HYUUGA! YOU PERVERT!" What? She actually was wearing those? I fleetingly smile, before I stop myself.

"What are you smiling at, Pervert!" You can tell she's really pissed, it reminds me of back at the academy.

"You're giving me a headache, Polka, I can't concentrate."

"Fine then! Yui, let's go!" She stalks out of the room, a dark haired girl following her. I watch them leave and when the dark haired girl turns around to close the door, I catch sight of her face. It's sickly pale, her teeth clenched together and her eyes wide in fear, anger and hate. Her brown eyes are focused on me. Then the door closes with a resounding slam and they're nothing more than two echoing pairs of footsteps retreating down the hall.

* * *

Question: Why does Yui hate Natsume so much?

If anybody guesses correctly I'll dedicate the next chapter to them!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!

Always open to constructive criticism, tell me if you thought this chapter was okay (I was worried about it and that's why it took me so long to put up). Sorry if it's a little short compared to the others.

Again, please review this chapter (if you have ever written a fanfic, which you probably have, you will understand how much reviews can raise your mood)

**Oh! And before I forget!!! I'm putting up a new story after this, here's a quick summary:**

**A Part of my World**

**From the moment Natsume and Mikan met in an orphanage they knew they would be together forever. But then Natsume is adopted, ending Mikan's life as she knows it. Years later they attend the same school, but can Mikan get over the hurt and once again make Natsume a part of her world?**


	5. The Living Dead

disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, Higuchi Tachibana does.

**_Mostly dedicated to jaahkms, also slightly dedicated to Lady Clark-Weasley of the books_**

**_Both correctly guessed parts of the reason why Yui hates Natsume_**

**_(don't check their comments to find out, it's a surprise!)_**

_Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter:_

_moonacre99_

_fallenangel hyacinth_

_Lady Clark-Weasley of Books_

_TheBlackSwallow_

_jaahkms_

_JeZrA_Amutolover110 (several times over)_

And, I should also mention that for those who think my story is sad, this chapter will not prove you wrong. This and the next chapter are rather depressing, especially this one, which follows the (rather depressing) life of Yui. I am, however, considering reserving the next chapter for something lighter. Comment on whether you'de like something lighter or to just get on with the plot.

And, despite the name, this chapter is not about vampires or zombies.

* * *

**Lost and Forgotten**

**Chapter 4**

**The Living Dead**

Yui's POV

He never really seemed like that type of person, but then I guess, there's a monster within everyone, hidden, but there. Everybody liked him, he was the unofficial leader of our class, all the girls, including me, had a crush on him and all the boys envied him. Mostly he wouldn't smile, but sometimes when he talked to Ru-chan, the most beautiful smile would break out on his face, making his red eyes shine. I grew a little obsessed with him, my marks went down, because he was the only thing I could pay attention to in class, I hung out around his locker, hoping that I would see him. All this just so that I would be able to see him smile. You would think that with this obsession of mine, I would cling to him and talk to him like the other fan girls, but I didn't. In all the time he was at our school, I never said a single word to him. I still haven't.

If I close my eyes, I can still remember that day. That was the day that everything changed, the day when my whole life was burnt down and we had to start all over again. I can still remember the heat on my eyelids, and the whole world red.

"Yui, I heard from your teacher that your grades have been going down for a while now, could you tell me why?" His gaze was stern yet gentle. Tears came to my eyes, I never wanted to disappoint my father, I never wanted to make him worry. He saw my tears and sighed "It's alright Yui, I won't tell your mother if you make an effort to improve your marks. So, don't cry anymore." his tone softened and he smiled at me. I smiled and hugged him, laughing. He was the perfect father, and I loved him.

It was then, amidst all the love and happiness, that the nightmare began. I never knew that the nightmare would last two and a half years until my father's death, and would then continue to haunt me until mine.

We suddenly heard the neighbours shouting, they briefly banged on our door, shouting muffled words, before moving on to the next house. When Dad opened the door, he gasped, and I quickly ran over to see what he was staring at. The horizon was outlined in glowing red, I stood transfixed, that red, like Natsume-kun's eyes. The only thing I noticed was the red until it gradually blocked out everything else. All I could see was that shining red, I didn't notice the screams, the smell of smoke and ash, the mad rush to get to safety.

"YUI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" It was my father, my mother was standing by the car, opening the doors and frantically motioning for us to hurry up, her eyes wide in fear. I came back to my senses and finally realized that the fire was rapidly advancing. My dad lifted me up and carried me to the car. It wasn't until we were driving to safety that I started to feel the fear that was pervading the air. It was contagious, and soon I started to feel it reverberate in my bones. Tears came to my eyes and silently glided down my cheeks. By the time we reached the safety, my eyes were red and puffy.

The next day we returned to our home, at least, we planned to. When we arrived, there was nothing left, just ash and rubble. It had been our dream home, the place where we wanted to spend our lives in. On the outskirts of town, with mountains for backdrops. Sweet smelling lavender under the windows, wildflowers framing the little path that led to the white door. Green climbing vines entwined around the porch railings. An assortment of odd furniture collected over years, each room decorated to our taste. Although the paint was peeled in places, and some tiles needed replacing, it was home, the home that we had slowly changed until it was irrefutably ours. But now, now it was just a charred black skeleton. My father was on his knees, he grabbed a handful of ash before letting it run through his hand, mingling with his tears.

When I first found out that it was Natsume Hyuuga who was responsible for the fire, I was beyond caring; my whole world had collapsed and he was responsible for it - that was all that mattered.

We tried to pick up the pieces, we honestly did, but it was hard. My father developed depression and PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. At first it was just waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares, but then he started to grow distant, his warm eyes turned cold. I remember one time he came home late at night smelling like beer. My mother asked him where he had been and they started to argue. I just sat curled up in the corner of our rented apartment, a pillow over my ears. I didn't want to hear what my father was saying.

The last time I saw him, two years after the incident, he was arguing with my mother again, about gambling.

"Can't you see that I'm doing this for you!? Just _one_ lucky break and we'll have our home back!"

"NO! What about _now_? There's nothing in the fridge, we haven't paid rent for a week! How could you do this to us?" Yui looked from her tearful mother to her red faced father.

* * *

"_Mummy, you're so lucky! You got to marry Daddy, when I'm older, I wanna marry someone like Daddy too!"_

"_I'm sure that you'll find that person, if you're patient."_

"_But how will I know?"_

"_Hmmm...when he can make you smile without saying a word. When your heart flutters around him, and when he treats you well. I guess it's different for different people but-"_

"_Do you feel that way about Daddy?"_

"_Yes, I do."_

* * *

"It's your fault! All you ever do is laze around, do you have a job either, are you any better than me!? At least I'm trying!" shouted my father.

"Well at least I'm not wasting the little money we do get! Think of Yui! We need to give her a good future!"

"If that girl had never been born, we could've stayed and fought the fire to protect our house!" he turned to me and saw me silently crying. In two strides he was next to me, pulling me up from the floor by my hair "STOP CRYING! It's your fault! If it weren't for you, we would be happy, with our house!" My mother ran over and grabbed his arm, pulling back his fingers from my arm.

"STOP! DON'T TOUCH OUR DAUGHTER!" He looked at her, slapped her then kicked open the door and walked out. For a few days there was no news of him, then suddenly there was. Suicide, they said.

After that my mother and I gave up on our old home, we moved to a new town, we wanted a fresh start. And now, him again, with his red eyes. Every night I wake up thinking about the red of the sky just before my whole life was burnt down. He destroyed everything I loved, turned my happy ever after bitter. He did something more painful to me than killing my father; he made me watch as my father turned into some sort of monster. He killed my father two years before his heart stopped beating, and made us live with a corpse.

* * *

Good, bad? Remember to comment on whether you want a lighter chapter next or to just get on with the plot. Or maybe include something light into the plot? Your call!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	6. Cruelty and Murder

The following details my desperate attempts to upload this document.

_The writing in italic is attempt #1_

**The writing in bold is attempt #2**

**_The writing in bold and italic is attempt #3_**

_This chapter would've been up about an hour earlier, but I was too busy being frustrated at my laptop because of it's pathetic excuse of 'wireless connectivity'._

_"Please wait while Windows connects to the wireless 'BigPond' network _

_Waiting for the network..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Choose a wireless network._

_Connect to 'BigPond' network? _

_Please wait while Windows connects to the wireless 'BigPond' network_

_Waiting for the network..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

**NO!!! I just finished the finishing touches on editing this chapter so I press save. And then it tells me I'm not logged in so I log in, and when I return to this page, ALL MY EDITING IS GONE AND I HAVE TO START AGAIN, THIS IS THE 2RD TIME I'VE RESTARTED, the first time because of dodgy internet!!!!!!! Oh well, 3rd time lucky, eh?**

**_Or not, I started re-editing and my internet re-stuffs up again _****_L_****_ So now I've decided to edit this offline on word and upload it tomorrow. I'm sorry, if it weren't for my crappy wireless internet, you could have been reading this a full 10 hours ago._**

* * *

Okay, now that that's over, back to normal stuffs

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice

Sorry for the long(ish) wait! I have some good news, my holidays officially started the day before yesterday, so I should be able to update faster for next 2 months!! Unless my mum makes evil plans involving maths, which she has (have to do all the exercises in a further maths 3&4 textbook, which probably only means something to around 1% of the people who're reading this, but seeing as I've only been in high school for 3 years, I'm feeling a little scared...)

Anyways, **dedicated to Lady Clark-Weasley of Books for being my first reviewer and reviewing all of my chapters as soon as they came out. AND for not being afraid to say that you don't like something about it, so thank you very much for not just lying to make me feel better. **I've taken your advice and decided to stick to 3rd person (more versatile than 1st) and will label the POVs in my previous two chapters.

**Thank you to my reviewers:**

Oh yeah, I can't list them because my internet stuffed up and I (unfortunately) didn't memorize them by heart. Never fear, next chapter I'll just have to mention reviews for both the last chapter and this chapter (assuming I get any for this chapter). And the thing that is killing me is that I actually had the whole list written out, including the answers to someone's questions, but no, according to the site I'm not logged in so I have to START AGAIN!!! *sigh. In any case, enjoy the chapter...

* * *

**Lost and Forgotten**

**Chapter 6**

**_Cruelty and Murder_**

"Kuonji-sama, you had a mission for us?"

"Yes, I want you team to eliminate the person whom we earlier discussed."

"As for witnesses?"

"Eliminate them all. But beware, there is a high probability that the Kuro Neko will be with her. Exercise caution, I will not accept failure."

"Hai."

The young boy sighed as he watched his subordinate bow before exiting. Yuka had nearly fooled him, no, Yuka _had_ fooled him. Her bluff had given her allies time to move. And not only that but he still didn't know the location of that other alice stone. Possibly with that lost dog that always followed her around, Shiki Masachika. But where was he? No, his best bet would be to capture her daughter and blackmail Yuka. But it was imperative that the capture be successful, or else this could turn into a wild goose chase...

* * *

"Yui-chan, your hands are bleeding!" Mikan's eyes were wide in worry. She grabbed Yui's hands and examined the crescent shaped cuts in her palm. "You must have been clenching your hand really tightly, to make them bleed. Let's go to sickbay." Mikan started to drag Yui down the corridor, worried for her pale and bleeding friend. Yui let her drag her a couple metres before resisting.

"No, I don't need the sickbay. I'm..fine."

"Yui-chan, what's wrong? You've been pale ever since class started...it isn't that new boy, is it?" Yui was silent for a moment before responding. "He...used to lived in my old town. And one day he just lit a fire. And it destroyed everyone's houses, and my home. He's the reason my father is dead, because one day he got bored." Yui's hands started to clench again, fresh blood trickling down. Mikan grabbed her hands and held them flat between her own.

"Yui...let's go to the sickbay." This time Yui allowed Mikan to lead her. When they arrived at the sickbay, no one was there so Mikan sat Yui down and started to look for first aid supplies.

"This might sting a little, but we have to clean your cuts, okay?" Yui just nodded, and watched as Mikan dabbed the cuts on her trembling hands with a damp ball of cotton. After the cuts were clean, Mikan wound a strip of gauze around Yui's palms, stemming the flowing blood. She looked up to see Yui's walnut eyes still wide in shock.

"I couldn't keep him happy. I couldn't make my dad happy so he...it was my fault. If I had tried harder to smile for him, to be his strength, he wouldn't have killed himself." Yui tensed as she felt Mikan's arms around her, before relaxing in her friend's embrace, "Mikan..."

"It's alright Yui, everything will be fine."

* * *

The next day when Natsume arrived at school he was looking forward to teasing Mikan some more. He wanted to see her animatedly shouting, her cheeks going red, defending something she believed in.

"Hey, Polka." He greeted her, smirking.

"..." Mikan glanced at him, then ignored him. His eyes widened slightly before snapping back to their controlled state. He watched as she walked past, her eyes sliding over him in a visible attempt to ignore him. Natsume watched as she walked to her desk at the back of the room, put down her bag and sat down. For a moment the whole class was shocked, for Mikan to enter the classroom without so much as a good morning, then proceed to ignore an insult; the world must be coming to an end.

"Ne, why do you think Sakura-san's in such a bad mood?"

"Maybe it's because she's worried about Yui-chan, she was really pale yesterday, and I saw Mikan take her to the sickbay yesterday."

"I hope Mizuki-san gets better soon then."

Natsume remembered the girl who had followed Mikan out of the room the other day. Mikan had called her Yui, so she was Yui Mizuki. For some reason the name seemed to ring a bell. He looked back at Mikan, her usually happy face had creases from worrying.

* * *

"Why are you following me, Hyuuga." Her cold voice rang out. The afternoon sun shone bright, Mikan was walking home from school. She didn't even slow down for Natsume's reply, "Not ignoring me now, are you." She ignored him so he decided on a different approach. "Please, you've been acting strangely all day. I just want to know what's wrong."

"How would you know what's normal for me, you don't know me." Mikan had stopped in the shade of a tree, the light filtering through the leaves playing on her hair.

"I...just tell me what's bothering you." His eyes avoided hers, looking at a spot on the ground.

"You wanna know what's bothering me, Hyuuga?! You are! Let me tell you a story I once heard. There's a boy, one day he gets bored, so he burns an entire town down. He never thought about the people whose homes he destroyed. He never cared about how many people's lives he ruined! He never even thought about the girl whose father would get depressed and commit suicide! HE ONLY CARED ABOUT ENTERTAINING HIMSELF! YOU MURDERER!" Mikan was breathing heavily from shouting, she looked up to see Natsume's eyes wide in shock and the next thing she knew, she was pinned to the tree, his arms forming a cage. Even though he towered over her, she looked up defiantly, prepared to hold her own. But when she looked up, she saw his eyes were like those of a betrayed child.

"Please...tell me you didn't, say you didn't mean that." His voice was shaking. Mikan was shocked, both by his reaction and by the familiarity of his eyes. She had the sudden urge to comfort him, to protect him. "Mikan..." his voice sounded so familiar, his face kept on inching nearer, "...Mikan, you don't really believe that..." Now his face was so close to hers that their foreheads were touching. She was staring into his garnet red eyes, so familiar. She could count his eyelashes, each individual one long and slightly curved.

_... destroyed everyone's houses, and my home. He's the reason my father is dead, because one day he got bored._

Suddenly Mikan woke up from her semi hypnotised state. She brought up her hand and slapped Natsume's cheek.

"Get away from me, murderer." Mikan pushed Natsume away and ran off, leaving him stunned. If she had looked back, she would have seen him drag his sleeve across his eyes, as if to wipe away tears. If she hadn't been so distracted, she would have noticed that the same tears were threatening to fill her own eyes.

* * *

Good, Bad, in need of some serious improvement? Please point out any mistakes, I can only proofread the same story so many times.

And I'm very sorry for my rant earlier, but sometimes I think that if computers weren't so damn useful, I would go around smashing them all up into tiny, itty bitty pieces and throwing the remaining dust into a black hole. However, I would probably need a computer to get the dust in the black hole so...

Anyhow, REVIEW!!!

And read my other fanfic, 'A Part of my World'


	7. Rapid Waters

Yay! Very happy! After a week of having to trail a connection cord up the stairs whever mum wasn't around, my wireless has decided to work again :D

I should just mention that, yes, Mikan will get her memory back eventually, I wouldn't have it any other way ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed the last two chapters, you all rule!**

moonacre99

TheBlackSwallow

Lady Clark-Weasley of Books

JuSt To RaNdOm

Ichigo1010

bunnyjumps

Najika Tsubasa-chan

Cool Blue Sky

aniAngelxx

heya-gurl

Lady Clark-Weasley of Books

JuSt To RaNdOm

bluechibi

moonacre99

TheBlackSwallow -And yes, this story is just a continuation of the real Gakuen Alice, sort of like an alternate plot.

dangeralert

daylab

Najika Tsubasa-chan

bunnyjumps

Hana4Tsubaki

* * *

Lost and Forgotten

Chapter 6

**Rapid Waters**

Mikan was by the lake, her hair fanning out behind her as the wind blew.

"Are you _still_ following me?" It wasn't a question, it was more of a statement.

"..."

"Go away, I don't know why you care so much about what I think, but Yui's gonna be here soon and I don't want her to see you." Mikan avoided Natsume's eyes, scared of the familiarity she'd felt before.

"Mikan," Upon hearing this one single word, Mikan froze, "The last year, what did you do during it? Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember! I was in hospital, recovering."

"Then can you tell me the name of the hospital? The names of the nurses? Could you tell me about the friends you made there, or the food you ate?" Mikan opened her mouth to respond, but closed it when she realized that she didn't know the answer to any of the questions.

"Let me guess, you don't know. Forgetting the name of the hospital and the food you ate isn't so unlikely, but I know you, polka-dots, and I know you'd never forget about the people you meet."

"You don't know me! Stop talking like you do!"

"I do know you though. I know that your favourite colour is orange and you love strawberries. You're loud, annoying and sometimes rude. You're terrible at anything academic, especially maths, but you love playing sports like dodge ball. Your best friend is Hotaru Imai, and although she treats you coldly sometimes, deep down she cares for you. You love making friends, and would do anything to help them, and hate seeing them hurt. Somehow, you have this ability to make people happy with your smile. And you have 8 different pairs of underwear." Mikan, who had been staring amazed at Natsume, suddenly blushed.

"PERVERT!" Natsume just smirked before handing her something.

"Huh? It's not my birthday, why'd you give me this card?"

"Just open it, Baka! And it's a card I got for my birthday, not yours. Which I know is on January the first."

"Stalker." Mikan said darkly before opening the card. The first thing she saw was a photo. In the photo were about 20 boys and girls dressed in the same uniform. In the centre was Natsume holding a young boy in his arms."

"Hyuuga, if this is to show off how great with children you are, just leave."

"Baka" Natsume pointed at a figure in the picture. It was a girl standing next to Natsume, a wide smile on her face. Mikan looked at the figure closely before gasping.

"I-it's...me! But I don't remember having this photo taken-" She was cut off by the sound of voices coming from the card. It sounded like a recording of a conversation.

"_I bet you loved the present! But I think one of my handmade Mikan dolls would've been better, you liked my doll, right Hotaru?"_

"_No."_

"_Huh? But I thought you loved it! Hey, Natsume, don't just walk away!"_

"_Tch."_

"_Natsume-kun! Did you love the heart necklace I gave you?! I knew you would!"_

"_Look at Sumire, I think she honestly thinks that Natsume would wear that thing.."_

"_So, Natsume, who gave the worst present?"_

"_Polka-dots."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Oh, poor Sakura-san, has to be Ruka and Youichi's slave now."_

"_Ruka-this is your chance!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_Natsume, why! My present wasn't that bad, was it?"_

"_It sucked. What do I need a card and a used up camera for?"_

"_But you got the picture! And it's a reminder of your friends! And the picture even has sound!"_

The recording stopped. Although it was difficult to make out what happened, Mikan had heard enough to realize that she had known Natsume, maybe even been friends with him. She looked at the other side of the card.

_Happy Birthday_

_I hope that you can look at this card and remember your friends and all the happy times!_

_From Mikan_

That was definitely her handwriting, but she didn't remember writing it! But her picture, her voice, her writing! It would be too hard to fake!

"Listen, the reason why you don't remember anything about the past year is because someone erased your memory and replaced it with the lie about you being in hospital! Try and remember!" Mikan closed her eyes, trying, but her eyes snapped back open when she heard someone calling.

"Mikan!"

"Huh, Yui! You're here!"

"Yup! Sorry for being late! What's he doing here?" Her voice was calm and neutral, but her anger showed in her usually peaceful eyes.

"He's-" Mikan was cut off by Natsume.

"We're having a private conversation, come back later."

"Natsume Hyuuga. If you know what's good for you you'll stay away from Mikan, because if you ever hurt another person I love, I'll kill you."

"Huh?" Natsume looked confused for a second before his expression suddenly changed to alert. Something silver, glinting in the sun. Fuck.

Natsume twisted his body just in time to dodge the dagger slicing through the air. With a quiet thump it embedded itself in the trunk of a tree. In his head, Natsume rapidly calculated the angle that the dagger had been thrown from. He took the blowing wind into account and his eyes narrowed on a tree on the far side of the lake.

The two girls screamed as the tree burst into flames. The fire was at such a high temperature, that after a few seconds it had already burnt out. The tree then stood, pale white, for a second before crumbling to a pile of dusty ash. Mikan looked from the tree to Natsume, then back again. A pleasant smoky smell wafted from the far shore.

Yui shrieked in horror and they turned to see her frantic eyes fixed on the lake. The surface was heaving, waves breaking over the shore and drenching them in water. A thin tendril of water broke free experimentally testing its movement before lunging at Yui and wrapping itself around her neck.

She screamed, trying to pull the tendril off her neck with her hands, but she couldn't get a good grip, her hands kept on slipping. Mikan ran over and tried to help, but it was too slippery. A flame appeared, surrounding the ropey water, but it wouldn't evaporate. Natsume cursed and was about to try to pull off the water as well, but before he could even take a single step towards the struggling girls a towering wave appeared.

He used his Alice to surround the wave with fire in an attempt to evaporate it. It hadn't worked on the water rope, but it was likely that most of this wave was just normal lake water. Steam rose, surrounding the lake in an eerie fog. What was left of the wave crashed down and Natsume realized just how much he had underestimated its destructive force. The wave picked him up and carried him a few metres before he could get back on his feet again. He looked around, noting that Mikan had avoided injury by grabbing onto Yui who was being held in place by the rope of water. Her face was starting to look blue, her hands still scrabbling at her throat.

"Polka! Use your Alice!"

"HELP! NATSUME, HELP HER!"

"Polka, you have the nullification alice, you can nullify the water alice that's being used against us!"

"HOW!?"

"You just need to want it! You can do it, I know you can." Mikan looked determined and closed her eyes, by now Yui was unconscious and had stopped struggling. She was limp, only held up by the rope around her neck. Natsume saw another wave rising, it stretched from one end of the lake to the other, towering about 10 metres high. He used his Alice again, focusing on the part of the wave directly in front of them. He pushed himself to the limit, using the full force of his Alice.

The steam blanketed them, it was impossible to distinguish anything, he had no way to tell if his efforts were enough. He made his way in the rough direction of Mikan and Yui, walking blindly in the hope of running into them. The wave was closer now, he could hear it on either side, roaring with forceful fury. He closed his eyes and tried to sense Mikan. A little forward and to the right. He grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and bracing for the impact, there was no time to teleport, no time to do anything but hope.

The fog cleared and Natsume watched as the giant wave bore down upon them, a split second later came the impact. The full force of the wave crashed down, driving the air from Natsume's lungs. He tightened his grip on Mikan as they started to tumble, surrounded by water. He forgot which way was up and which way was down, it all seemed the same. Mikan was unconscious, her life in his hands. She looked almost peaceful, despite being violently carried by a giant wave. Her skin seemed ghostly pale in the half light, her hair flowing with the water, light shining on her face.

Light...Natsume started to kick, bringing them closer to light until he finally burst free. With one arm he held Mikan tightly to him, with the other he held onto a tree. He started to climb, trying to escape the turbulent waters below that threatened to wash them away. When he was finally clear he searched him pockets for the green Alice stone. Holding Mikan closer, he used the last of his strength to activate the alice stone. Then they dissapeared.

* * *

So, good? Bad? Too much action? I suck at writing action? Reviews are much appreciated!

If you have time and are bored, please read my other story, A Part of my World


	8. Run and Hide

Sorry ,sorry, sorry, sorry, I know I took ages to update, *kneels and begs for forgiveness*

I know I have no excuse, especially seeing as I'm on holidays!!!!

Oh, and everyone seems to want to know happened to Yui, well that'll be answered in this chapter.

Hmmm, I get the feeling I forgot something...Did everyone have a merry Christmas and a happy new year? I hope you all did!

Disclaimer: Lets do a bit of math!

Higuchi Tachibana=owner of Gakuen Alice

Me ≠ Higuchi Tachibana

Therefore:

Me ≠ owner of Gakuen Alice

I will dedicate this chapter to all of the people who reviewed the last chapter, thank you very much for making my day(s) ^.^

_**JeZrA-Amutolover110**_

_**aniAngelxx**_ – Nup, Yui's not being targeted by the academy, but Kuonji's orders were to kill all witnesses, which meant Yui. The rest of your questions should be answered in this chapter ^.^

_**Yuri no Kimi**_

_**TheBlackSwallow**_

_**moonacre99**_

_**sonwfur**_

_**Lady Clark-Weasley of Books**_

_**Jackyanimefreak

* * *

**_

Lost and Forgotten

Chapter 7

**Run and Hide **

(I couldn't think of any other title)

"_Kuonji-sama, using the experimental amplification stone failed to yield results."_

"_None at all?"_

"_None, it appears that her alice was being suppressed, or countered by something. Evidently the stone had no effect, perhaps it is a faulty one. There is only one other explanation, but it's doubtful."_

"_Well go on."_

"_Something or someone could have nullified it."_

Kuonji smiled remembering that incident. At the time he had panicked upon confirming that what she had said was true, but then he realized there was a loophole in her story. His head snapped up as he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter."

"Kuonji-sama, in regard to the mission assigned."

"Report."

"My men failed to capture the subject."

"What do you mean the mission failed?!" Kuonji banged his fist against the desk. "Did I not tell you that I would not accept failure?!"

"W-wait, Kuonji-sama! I found out something that might interest you!"

"...Speak, this had better not disappoint me."

* * *

Natsume watched her sleeping face, noting every slight flutter in her eyelids. His heart stopped every time her breathing hitched, fists clenching tighter every minute she failed to get better. He controlled the temperature surrounding her by using his Alice, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Although warming the air used up a minimal amount of his energy, most of his energy was already exhausted trying to soften the impact of the tidal waves.

He looked up, noting that it was already late afternoon; the trees were casting long shadows on the clearing. He needed to get Mikan to a more sheltered place before it got dark. Not only were the spring nights cold, but these particular woods were infamous due to its popularity with bears. Even though he had Ruka's Alice stone, he wasn't sure how many uses he would get out of the honey coloured stone, no bigger than a pea.

Natsume was just about to pick up Mikan when he realized just how exhausted he was. Carrying Mikan to a safer place could use up all of his energy, leaving nothing to warm her up. He sighed and flopped back down to the ground; there was nothing that could be done for now.

Mikan was still showing no signs of improvement. Her fever still hadn't dropped, strands of hair stuck to her forehead, slick with sweat. Occasionally she would give off a whimper, as if whatever dreams she was having were unpleasant.

Natsume hesitated, before brushing the hair from her face. His hand froze and his eyes narrowed as he sensed something approaching. A twig snapped, the sound coming from the right. With the twitch of his finger, Natsume conjured a sphere of fire in his palm, ready to face whatever was coming.

"Hyuuga, put that out before you do something you'll regret." Natsume froze as the silver haired man revealed himself.

"You, what are you doing here?!" The fire slowly went out and Natsume put his hand to his mouth, suppressing a cough. Shiki's eyes travelled from the coughing Natsume to the unconscious Mikan.

"So they found her. Is she alright?" Shiki knelt down beside her and inspected her condition.

"She has a fever." Natsume's fingers twitched as Shiki Lay a hand on her forehead.

"So she does." Shiki thought for a moment before continuing. "It looks like you're having some trouble." Natsume immediately opened his mouth to deny it but broke into a coughing fit.

Shiki just shook his head and grabbed both Natsume and Mikan's arms before activating his teleportation Alice. They found themselves in a small living room, modest, yet neatly kept.

"Where are we?" Natsume looked around.

"Don't worry, this is a safe place." Shiki looked around before calling out, "Megumi, Sanae, I'm back!" Natsume narrowed his eyes as a middle aged woman entered the room, dish and towel in hands. She had dark hair, beginning to show grey, and soft brown eyes.

"Shiki! I was starting to get worried! Sanae's out, but he'll be back soon." Megumi then spotted the two children, one kneeling, the other unconscious. "Oh, you found them!"

"Yeah, but they're in bad shape. Mikan has a fever and Natsume's exhausted."

Megumi was immediately next to Mikan, checking her temperature and listening to her breathing. "Shiki, get her to the spare room, and you," she turned to Natsume, "get some rest on the couch." Natsume just glared, stood and pointedly picked up Mikan. The woman sighed.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you," When she got no response from Natsume she rolled her eyes and pointed to a door down the hallway, "It's there, don't jostle her."

"Hn." Natsume slowly carried Mikan to the room and carefully laid her down on the bed before collapsing on a nearby chair. When Megumi returned with a tub of hot water, she found she boy asleep.

"You mother would've been proud of you." She softly said, gently brushing a strand of hair from his face. "Shiki, what happened to them?" She looked towards the figure in the doorway.

"I believe they were attacked by a strong water Alice."

"That's harsh, fighting fire with water. It's a wonder they're still alive. Were there any casualties?"

"Don't know, if there were, the water would've carried the bodies off, it could take weeks to find out." Shiki's frowned, "But for a non-Alice, being there at the time would have meant certain death."

The silence was broken by a whimper from Mikan, bringing them back to the present. As Megumi soaked and wrung out a towel, she looked back to Shiki, "Shiki, what'll happen now?"

"We just need to keep them hidden until I can free Yuka and we defeat Kuonji."

"But that might take _years_." Megumi gave the towel in her hands a vicious wring before gently resting it on Mikan's forehead.

"You and Sanae managed to hide for over a decade, didn't you?"

"Yes, but, this is different. Kuonji's gonna have half the fucking world looking for her!"

"That's a bit of an overstatement. And plus, I doubt he'd want to draw attention to her." Shiki reasoned

"...I guess, and it's not as if we have any other choice." The woman sighed and bowed her head, defeated. "If we want them to seem normal they'll have to attand the local school. Hopefully you'll be able to defeat Kuonji soon, or else this will get dangerous, for them and us."

"I know."

* * *

So that's that! Short, I know, but I don't think there's much of a point in dragging out a chapter!

And to all the people who have suggested ways I can improve my chapters, I plan on editing this whole story once I've finished, so don't think I'm ignoring it! Please keep on suggesting ways that I can improve, so that I'll get better and better at writing :D


End file.
